Such energy guiding chains are used for example in installations in which a moveable part of the installation has to be supplied from a stationary region with energy and/or fluid materials, for example for consumption or for fluid-mechanical control. That is generally effected by a plurality of lines which extend parallel and which are laid in the longitudinal passage formed by the chain links. Maintenance, repair and/or replacement of such a line generally requires the chain links to be opened, involving a corresponding effort and expenditure. If when setting up the installation it is to be predicted that, in regard to a given line, such operations may occur more frequently or if a line is added upon modifications to the installation, that line can be fitted to the outside of the chain and is thus more easily accessible.
A chain link of that kind is described in DE 10 2010 003 282 A1, which includes a plurality of holding elements which occur in succession in the longitudinal direction of the chain and by means of which a line can additionally be fixed outside the chain. Those holding elements are preferably mounted rotatably, in which case their axis of rotation coincides with a respective pivot axis between adjacent links, and they can preferably be fixed to the energy guiding chain with a preferably releasable push-in connection. In that case existing holding elements can also be replaced by others.
In the case of such a chain, the rotatable fixing of the holding elements in the pivot axis means that the forces acting upon displacement of the chain heavily load the overlap region of the side plate, that is thinner in relation to the central region, or the pivot pin provided with a bore for receiving the holding element, so that material fatigue or breakage can occur. In addition it may be difficult to pull the holding element out in the direction of the pivot axis if the energy guiding chain is being used in constricted spatial conditions.
A so-called “latching clip” is also known from igus GmbH, Cologne (Germany), in which a line can be fixed on a main body in the form of a side plate, by means of a band forming a loop.
Laid-open application JP 2001-012560 A discloses a connecting component in the manner of a clip connector which serves for bundling a plurality of energy guiding chains. It fixes two mutually juxtaposed energy guiding chains in parallel relationship to each other by latching connections.
Taking that state of the art as the basic starting point, the object of the invention is to provide an energy guiding chain with which it is possible for a line guided outside the chain links to be easily fitted and removed again, wherein the stability of the chain is to be maintained.